"A Sworded Affair' is smorgasbord of wit

Mask and Wig's 1994 spring show, A Sworded Affair, brings a cure for the winter blues. Humorous and lively, A Sworded Affair is Mask and Wig at its best. In their 106th annual production, this troupe of thirty-seven merry men bring to the stage a fairy tale of their own creation. Set in 18th century Flanders, A Sworded Affair is a bedtime story come to life. Culling from childhood story motifs of Prince Charmings, dastardly villains and cunning heroes and heroines, Mask and Wig puts a new twist on old themes. Starting with the basic plot of a prince who wants desperately to break an arranged marriage and a court sorcerer who wants the throne for himself, A Sworded Affair zigs and zags through song and dance to a surprise ending. While attempting to get out of marrying Princess Josephine, played by College freshman Jeff Klein, who has a penchant for practicing karate "Bruce Lee" style, Prince Charmin gets caught up in a dastardly plot by the court's advisor to kill the queen. In a self-conscious and playful way, the actors frequently step out of character to speak directly to the audience, asking what will happen next. With vintage Mask and Wig finesse, a cast of female parts come alive. College sophomore Dan Zola plays a very tall queen and College junior Mike Shames is a sorcerer disguised as a femme fatale. With a very strong voice, beautiful costume and curly brown tresses, the feisty and sprightly Josephine practically steals the show. In addition to the predictable, but well-done, comic relief of characters like "The Brothers Dimm," who resemble the Three Stooges, A Sworded Affair also inaugurates new humorous characters -- a town lexicographer and a human voice-mail service. The show also adds new special effects to the Mask and Wig repertoire. In one of the most clever scenes of the show, the Queen's advisor Richard, played by Shames, casts a spell on Prince Charmin and his alter ego. He then controls them like marionettes with wooden crosses. With humor ranging from the political to the Monty-Pythonesque, A Sworded Affair is filled with quips and catchy one-liners. Using only minimal props consisting of a trunk marked "Unfair Taxes," a throne and a torture chamber equipped with a live skeleton and free weights, the scenes of the performance are set by a series of professional backdrops. The opening night performance was almost flawless and the audience, which consisted of mostly University alumni and members of a Philadelphia theater club, raved about the show. A Sworded Affair runs most Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until April 9 at the Mask and Wig Clubhouse at 310 South Quince Street, Center City or at the Annenberg School Theater March 18th and 19th. Tickets can be purchased on Locust Walk or by calling 898-9999 code WIG.